Directions

Mix the potatoes in a large bowl with salt, pepper, olive oil, and add the crushed onions, garlic & chili paste. Add in the paprika powder and toss well

Prepare a bake pan nicely coated with olive oil and arrange potatoes on the pan

Put the potatoes into the oven and bake for 20 mins, remove and turn the potatoes to the other side and add thinly sliced butter on the potatoes and bake for another 20 mins for crispy and heavenly wedges.

– Taking out the potatoes from the oven and turning it the other side while adding little butter to it will give it a nice crisp on the outside and soft starchy flakes inside. It’s a great comfort food of all time! J

– Baked potato wedges are a healthy alternative to fried ones. Just the smell of these lovely wedges baking in the oven can satisfy your taste buds for the most comforting food ever.

Ingredients

Hummus

Directions

Drained the boiled chickpea and process it in a food processor with about ½ cup of water till coarse texture.

Add in the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper and process further. While processing, progressively add in the olive oil till it reaches a nice smooth texture that great for dippings.

Serve with freshly baked pita bread and a cooling Mediterranean salad

Mediterranean Salad

1 Cucumber (diced)

1/2 head romaine lettuce

1 large ripe tomato (diced)

12-15 cherry tomatoes

10 olives

Feta cheese

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt & Pepper

Directions

Toss all vegetables in a big bowl

Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper while tossing gently

Finally add the feta cheese and leave to chill before serving

*Tips:

– Tahini is a sesame paste which can be found in local Middle Eastern stores. You can also find cannedhummus in Middle Eastern stores, but it’s really nice to make your own with fresh ingredients

– Leftover hummus are great as raw vegetable/plain crackers dips and its simple and easy to consume

– Try adding other of your favorite ingredients to your hummus like beetroot, corn, or sugar snaps. It gives a nice various color and adds more nutrients to this wonderful dip

– Chickpea/ Garbanzo beans burst with various vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B,E,K riboflavin & niacin. It has low fat content and is very high in fiber. Chickpea is a highly recommended diet for those wanting a nice waistline and glowing skin

The benefits of oats are endless and it’s ranked one of the healthiest foods in the world. To add on to this, oats is extremely easy & quick to cook and eat. If you’ve always had your oats in the same old recipe, you must read on further to see the various great & tasty ways to flavor and devour it. Now you can have your oats all 7 days in a week and start your journey towards the healthiest lifestyle you’ve ever had!

Benefits of Eating Oats

High in Vitamin B especially Inositol

Lowers cholesterols

Reduces high blood sugar

Selenium & Vitamin E content boost immune system

Natural antidepressant

Calms down the nerves

Relieves fatigue

Weight loss due to high fiber intake

Great protein source

Natural constipation remedy

10 Ways to Savour Oats

Oat Cereal – commonly found in your nearest supermarket, this is a great way to enjoy the benefits of oats in the form of cereal and cold low fat milk

Oatmeal Honey & Fresh Fruits– Mix some rolled oats with hot water & mix in fresh fruits like berries, mangoes, bananas or apricots. Pour over some over & enjoy.

Oats, nuts, dried coconut & fruits, & milk– This is a classic granola style recipe. Use nuts like almond, pecans & walnuts to enhance the taste and benefit out of the richness of the Omega 3 oils. Sprinkle some chocolate chips to sweeten it if desired. Serve with cold low fat milk.

Oatmeal Cream of Chicken Porridge – This is inspired by the Chinese rice porridge. Take your favorite instant soup such as cream of chicken or cream of mushroom, etc, mix it with some quick cook oats & mix it with hot water & enjoy!

Oats with cinnamon, nutmeg & brown sugar – this is great if you’re in the mood for some flavorful spices

This recipe is great to be enjoyed warm on a rainy day. It’s truly a soul food and completely comforting. Corn is high in fiber and contains essential Vitamin B, which helps in prevention of heart problems and colon cancer. It also contains phytonutrients that promotes the eye & heart health. I couldn’t think of a better way to enjoy my fresh corn kernels!

Fruit butter is a sweet spread made of fruits like apple, pears, pineapple, strawberries, grapes, plums, mangoes, banana or pumpkin cooked in a low heat to a paste, and lightly sweetened. This is a “kind to the body” substitute to butter, margarine or cream cheese, and tastes awesome. It is created by slow-cooking fruits and then putting the mixture through a sieve or blending it to reach the right consistency. When done well, it has the same texture as butter with a different flavor. This is different from jams/ jelly’s as the ingredients do not incorporate any thickening or preservative agents.

Ingredients

4 cups fresh fruits of your choice

¾ cup water

¼ cup of brown sugar

3 tbsp of honey/ maple syrup

1 tsp of citrus zest (orange or lemon)

5 tbsp of lemon or orange juice

Very little pinch of salt

Directions

Combine fruit, water, sugar, salt & honey/syrup in a stove, slow cooker or oven. Add citrus zest and juice. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook, mashing the fruit and stirring occasionally. It would take about 20 minutes to more than an hour to become very thick depending on the type of fruits you use.

Do a taste test to see if sugar is sufficient. You could add more sugar towards the end of the cooking process. Always start with less sugar. Some fruits are loaded with natural sugar.

To see if it has cooked to perfection, put a spoonful of fruit butter on a plate. If no liquid seeps from the edges, it’s done. Return to a simmer to thicken more if necessary. If you need it to be smoother, puree in a food processor or blender, strain, and let it simmer again for a few minutes before taking our for storing.

Store the butter in nice clean jars with lids. Let it cool at room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.

*Tips:

Play with the texture of the fruit butter based on the type of fruits you use. For fruits like apples, pineapples, pears, & pumpkin, you could remove the skin to get a smoother texture. For fruits with seeds like grapes, berries & kiwis, use strainer upon cooking to remove the fine seeds. In the middle of cooking, you can remove the mixture and blend it with a blender or food processor until you’re comfortable with the consistency. Try to opt for a mixture which is perfect as a spread.

If you would like a creamier taste for fruits like mangoes, pumpkins, pears, or bananas, minimize or do not use the citrus zest or juice to decrease the acidic taste.

Be creative and add your preferred flavors into your fruit butter. Most commonly added are spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, or flavors like vanilla, almond or coconut extract. Blending your fruit butter with yogurt will boost up the Probiotics properties.

You could also use dried fruits such as prunes, raisins, cranberries, apricots, or dates to make your butter.

Mix and match your favorite fruits and flavors to get a wonderful homemade fruit butter!

This recipe was discovered by accident when I was trying to come up with a Sunday salad preparation. Turns out, everyone, including me, thought it was incredible I’ve decided to share it. The 3 Zest Salsa is perfect for anyone who wants an instant refreshing zest in your mouth. It’s colorful, revitalizing, taste great and is healthy. Enjoy! Bon Appétit…

Ingredients

2 big tomatoes (diced small)

Half a pineapple (diced small)

1 cucumber (diced small)

15 grapes – Quartered and seed removed

8 mint leaves grated (finely Chopped)

Half a red onion (finely Chopped)

3 small green chillies(finely Chopped)

2 tsp of brown sugar

1 lemon – juiced with seeds removed

½ tsp salt

A pinch of pepper

Directions

Put all the diced & chopped ingredients together in a bowl

Mix in the brown sugar, lemon juice, salt & pepper

Cool in refrigerator and serve chill

*Tips: The secret ingredient in this recipe is the mint leaves. It gives a refreshing burst to the salsa and enhances the flavor. This is a great & low calorie TV snack to be served with corn chips/nachos or tortilla bread & cheese.

Use dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate as healthier option. Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants which are good for your heart. It also stimulates endorphin production, which increases pleasure & contains serotonin which acts as a natural anti-depressant.

You can’t go wrong with this tried and true basic pancake recipe. It is very easy to make, as long as you follow the instructions correctly. You can also serve them with a variety of toppings or just simple butter and syrup.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon of vanilla powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, vanilla powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Tips:

This is one of the quickest breakfasts you can have. Serve with options of cream, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, honey and butter, fresh fruits like mangoes, peaches, berries or your favorite choice ice creams.

For healthier choice, try blending in some oats/ chopped nuts into the batter.

*Tips: always cook vegetables in low heat as this would retain the vitamins and goodness which are essential for the body.

Ingredients

1 bowl of spinach leafs

1 tablespoon of butter

1 medium sized onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 cup of milk

1 cups of water

A pinch of salt & pepper

Heavy cream

Directions

In a dry pan, put in the butter and sauté the onion & garlic until fragrant in very low heat. Make sure to not let it burn as it will spoil the color of the soup.

When it turns light golden brown, add in water & ½ cup of milk. Add in the spinach leaves & cover the pan with a lid. Once spinach is added, it should only take about 3-5 mins to start boiling and it’s essential to turn off the heat when the boiling starts.

Let it sit in the pan for another 3 mins before putting it into the blender and grinding it until it becomes smooth in texture.

Put the mixture into the pan again and cook it for another 2 mins with the remaining ½ cup of milk.

Beat butter until slightly fluffy, and add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla & almond essence. Mix it with a spoon until you get a nice texture of coarse floury mixture. Don’t worry that it doesn’t look thin enough for a cake recipe. When you’re happy to have mixed the moderately dry ingredients, add the eggs & milk and proceed mixing with a beater until the blend is well. By now the batter will have a cake mixture look and you can add the chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. Mix well, pour into the baking pan.

Bake at 75 degree Celsius for 45 mins. Let it cool, and enjoy your cake with a nice cup of latte or hot tea!

*tips:

Get all your ingredients ready before starting the mixture as you want minimal time mixing and try and get it into the oven immediately after done as this will give a nice fluffy cake.

Almond essence gives a great fragrance to your cake especially when it has nuts. 3) Serve it with whipped cream/ crème cheese to enhance its taste. Happy baking!

This is a great snack for those with sensitive stomach or those having a sore throat. Also great as a substitute for the high calorie desserts while still being able to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

A pinch of salt

1 cup milk

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.

Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolk; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter and vanilla.

About Braided Roses

BraidedRoses.com officially kick started in July 2011 and is fairly new, but has already captivated many loyal viewers. This website is an exclusive Lifestyle Portal which brings you news on health, fitness, relationship, wellbeing, and a variety of recipes. The vision is to facilitate knowledge lovers out there with high quality & prominent information through an easy doorway. Your feedbacks or critics are highly appreciated & welcomed at any time to enable continuous enhancement. Enjoy the site & God Bless!